Many around the league, including Lakers executives, are adamant that the Lakers aim is to beat the Warriors this season. While this is obviously true for all of the other 29 NBA teams, LeBron knows his new squad has a long way to go to get to that level.
“We’re picking up from scratch. So, we have a long way to go. … Hopefully, someday, we can put ourselves in a position where we can compete for a championship, as Golden State has done for the last few years.”
He also provided an interesting theory on what can be considered a successful season, but it doesn’t vibe with the whole championship or bust thing.
“I don’t believe the only thing of success in marking a season is winning a championship,” LeBron said. “There’s only one champion. But that doesn’t mean you’re not successful.”
Some people will judge these comments as they do most comments from LeBron. It may sound odd coming from a guy chasing Michael Jordan’s legacy, one that has been to eight straight NBA Finals, but LeBron is being realistic about his situation.
His decision to join the Lakers wasn’t just purely a basketball decision. This is a team that has the potential to add a few stars and build a contender around him the next few seasons, but the reality at this point is that he is joining a team that won 35 games last season and only added a few veteran role players in addition to him this off-season.
I have little doubt that LeBron will build up the Lakers into a true title contender over the next few seasons, but realistically thinking they can compete with one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history this season seems a little premature.
